Evangelization Matters!

RENEW International

RENEW International,a Catholic ministry organization, is the leader in parish spiritual renewal and evangelization. For four decades, RENEW has served as a trusted partner to parishes and dioceses in 24 countries around the world.

Jesus aimed to bring God’s kingdom into our world through his mission of healing the sick, feeding the hungry and accepting the outcast. In your everyday world you and your community can continue Jesus mission in bringing compassion and care to those in need and in working to improve their lives through social action.

Often it is our deep faith that leads us to seek out those in need to offer them a helping hand. We want to put our faith into action. For some, it works the other way around and their actions lead them to a deeper faith.

A cool breeze with a blend of warm sun rays, topped with a handful of patience, is the recipe for a fruitful fishing experience. As we dive into the heart of summer, we are reminded of the fishing master, the expert of patience, and the designer of the breeze and sun, Jesus. Jesus called the disciples, and all of us, to be “fishers” of men and women. By outfitting ourselves with a variety of evangelization approaches, we can be sure our fishing expedition will result in a successful catch: in other words, new people open to a faith-filled encounter.

Have you ever had an encounter with a total stranger – a person in an airport, a sales associate in a store, or someone on a city street--who went out of his or her way to help you? No doubt that experience made you feel special! Those who assisted you demonstrated some of the qualities of an evangelizer that Pope Francis describes in The Joy of the Gospel: “approachability, readiness for dialogue, patience, a warmth and welcome which is non-judgmental.”

We usually notice the people who come to our parish in great numbers on Christmas, Ash Wednesday, and Easter. But more frequently, people slip into a Sunday liturgy, a daily Mass, or a parish prayer service, and sit alone in the back of the church.

Sunday bulletins can be excellent ways to convey important information about ministries and happenings in and around the parish. However, the need to put the bulletins together each week on a tight deadline can turn them into catch-alls of articles, ads, and short blurbs.

The Holy Spirit is constantly speaking to us in an effort to draw us closer to Christ. Sometimes it is an intuition, a fleeting thought, a strange coincidence, or the deep feeling that something is missing in our lives. Sometimes we may feel the Holy Spirit nudging us, but we decide to ignore it. Sometimes we forget to listen.

Are you feeling burned out?Frequently parish leaders feel discouraged by what they see as the lack of involvement of parishioners in parish activities. “I can’t seem to get anyone to help out!” is a very common complaint.

Countless scripture stories point toward Jesus as the Good News for all humanity. Through his life, ministry, teaching, healing, death, and resurrection, he speaks the words of eternal life. Since that time, no story has been quite as powerful as the Gospel of Jesus Christ.